Since the inception of inflatable tires, carrying a spare has always been seen to be a necessary evil. Associated with this need has been the logistical problem of where to unobstrusively mount the spare tire so that vehicle space is not compromised, and that the spare tire will be disposed in such a fashion that it is easily accessible yet relatively out of the way.
Prior art devices illustrative of various techniques in solving this problem comprise the following four patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,43,736--Sellers PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,428,230--Korf et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,387,754--Sinkey et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,610,658--Sartori.
Of these, all the references except Korf et al appear to rely upon a hinge member which allows the tire carried at the rear of the vehicle to rotate downwardly towards the ground, and in each of these three cases, the attaching structure about which the tire and its hinged point is to pivot do not provide a positive stop and locking mechanism so that the vehicle can be driven when the spare tire holder is hinged downwardly.
Clearly, and especially when such a device is installed on trucks having flatbeds, the size of the load carried within the truck bed may extend beyond the dimensions of the truck so that an overhang may be required. In these situations, it is apparent that tire kits as illustrated in the prior art cannot be utilized during this condition.
Further differences between the prior art and the instant application will become evident when considering the ensuing description.